BOOK SYNOPSIS
After twelve years, Katelynn Dobbs receives a letter from her father, returns to Comstock, Utah and finds he has been deceased for over a year. In uncovering the truth about the past, it leads her to her old flame, Walt Jeffries, who crushed her heart. Can the two of them find out the truth about the past without falling in love…or getting killed?

BOOK EXCERPTS
Katelynn slipped on her suit jacket, grabbed her purse and suitcase, and stepped into the hall, half expecting to see her letter writer. Only the almond walls with beautiful ivy stenciling greeted her. She peeked back into the room one last time and ran a mental check to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. When she heard the door across the hall open and felt someone step up behind her, a shiver ran up her back. She swung around, accidentally hitting her suitcase into the man’s leg.

“You’re not only dangerous with a car, but you’re tough with a suitcase as well.” Walt reached down and rubbed his shin.

Sparkling gold flecks lit his brown eyes, making them dance. Her surprise at his clean-cut appearance, after seeing him dirty and disgusting the previous night, left her gawking. His wild, curly roan hair was neatly combed into place. His clean-shaven face exposed two deep crevices in his cheeks that joined his chiseled, dimpled jaw. Her heart started pounding, and she went weak inside. His tight black jeans and white shirt revealed his excellent physique. She cleared her throat.

Oh, Katelynn. You hate him, remember? Even though he’d hurt her, she still had a hard time getting over him. In fact, standing next to him now, she wasn’t certain she had. He was so alive, so masculine, so every bit a man. She had found him an attractive boy, but now, he stirred something deep inside that she’d never felt before.

Katelynn picked up her bag and moved to the right to go around him. “You’ll be happy to know I’m leaving.”

He stepped in front of her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Just came into town to kill a lamb, huh?”

She wanted to say something, but her throat felt totally constricted. It was happening again. She just couldn’t handle these kinds of situations, especially not back here in Comstock.

Think of some retort, Katelynn. What’s the matter with you?

Walt didn’t budge an inch to let her by, and she didn’t want to retreat from her position. A fresh gauze bandage covered the cut on his forehead, already soiled by a spot of blood the size of a dime.

The thought of him in pain made Katelynn feel sick and quivery inside, making her feel even more vulnerable. She pushed back her shoulders and took a deep breath.

“Look, Mr. Jeffries--” she spat through her teeth.

“Mr. Jeffries?” Walt laughed. “It definitely wasn’t a nightmare I had last night after all,” he said, with rude sarcasm threading his voice. “You really are here. I thought wild horses couldn’t drag you back to Comstock.”

Katelynn tried to gather every bit of strength and composure she could muster. “I didn’t come back by choice.”

“We always have choices, Freckles.”

Katelynn blushed at hearing his nickname for her. “My choice is to leave right now. Do you mind?” She smiled her phoniest smile and attempted to push past him.

He reached down, firmly grabbing her left hand. “Little Freckles grew up and went to the big city. It doesn’t look to me like you’ve found another knight in shining armor yet. Don’t they make real men in California?”

Slipping out of his grasp, she fumbled around in her purse as though she were looking for something, all the while trying to think of some retort to make. “Don’t flatter yourself. I suppose you think lying in the street passed out drunk constitutes a real man.” She watched his jaw tighten and then pushed past him down the hall. Oh, if she could just cut him down a few notches.

“For your information, I wasn’t drunk, at least not yet.”

“Honestly, Walt, I can’t believe you’d go through all this trouble to see me again; first the letter, then the phony accident. You must have missed me madly. Did my leaving drive you to drink?”

“What the devil are you talking about?” Walt asked.

“It doesn’t matter now. I’m leaving.”

“Why did you come back, Kate? It’s too late to make amends with your father. He died eighteen months ago.”

AUTHOR BIO
Cindy A. Christiansen grew up enjoying writing, but it was after becoming chronically ill she began writing her first novel to keep her mind active. Although it is challenging with the cognitive problems her illnesses bring, she also finds writing cathartic.

She is joyfully married with two wonderful Autistic children and two boisterous dogs. She is happily working on another romantic suspense in West Jordan, Utah.

BOOK REVIEWS
Legacy Of Lies: What did I really enjoy about this book? I really like the characters that grew and developed throughout the book. I liked the fact that they faced trials and problems like real people, and that they actually had weaknesses like real people. On a personal note I really enjoyed the small town setting that was masterfully represented giving the novel an even more realistic structure. Also the length of this book is just right. The author didn’t need to write an encyclopedia length book to give a great story.

Things that I didn’t like would actually end up as being a part of the enjoyable aspects of the book. I hated characters that were so hard headed. I wished that they would just grow up and realize what the real problem they faced was. In a word this book is good. Overall well written and the start of a promising career for Cindy A. Christiansen. I give it a rating of 4 out of 5. It is worth the read, especially for readers who don’t usually delve into the Romantic Suspense category.-- Chris Williams, The Book Reviewers, www.thebookreviewers.com

Legacy Of Lies: A true chronicling of the damage done by lies. The author shows the pain and suffering inflicted by people who fail to realize keeping secrets causes damage, both to the liar and to the lied to. A young woman with a uninformed past tries to find the father she believed abandoned her when she was a child. Katelynn Dobbs returns to the town of Comstock expecting to find her father. What she finds is a love she thought not returned and a web of lies that entraps everyone in the little backwater town.

A romantic suspense mired in the bog of deceit. In Legacy of Lies Ms. Christiansen sustains the sexual and suspenseful tension throughout the book to the very last line. Fans of both mystery and romance will enjoy this tale. -- Foxpaw Reviews, Five out of Five Pawprints, http://careyfoxlady.googlepages.com

The Royal Pain: Cindy Christiansen pens a story riddled with suspense, mystery and emotion. The main characters are well developed and you feel the inner turmoil as they try to decide what to think about each other. The reader slowly begins to see through the layers of deceit and the ending is heartfelt. The Royal Pain is a triumph for Christiansen. 4.5 out of 5 Stars -- Manic Readers Reviews

The Royal Pain: Romantic suspense is Cindy Christiansen’s forté. A well-constructed plot with twists and turns and a vivid sense of place are hallmarks of this page turner. A fun read with a satisfying ending. -- Dorothy Keddington. Author of Return to Red Castle, Jayhawk, and Aisling of Eire

The Royal Pain is an intricate, multilayered mystery crossed with a love story. Ms. Christiansen has shown us the true love; one that is enduring through both joy and pain. ... The author uses terms that endear the characters to the reader. She makes you a part of the story and the folks that populate it. This book is a quick read because you find yourself eager to know what happens next. A well crafted tale that will leave you feeling uplifted. I highly recommend it. 4 out of 5 Pawprints, Foxpaw Reviews, www.careyfoxlady.googlepages.com, The Fox Lady